Callinan 'delayed murder briefing', says McCabe

Philip Ryan
– 20 February 2017 02:30 AM

Martin Callinan

Sergeant Maurice McCabe has claimed former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan postponed a press conference marking the first anniversary of murdered detective Adrian Donohoe on the day he allegedly briefed a politician on the false abuse claims levelled against the whistleblower.

Sgt McCabe said former head of the Garda Press Office Supt David Taylor told him that Mr Callinan asked him to delay the event in Co Louth so he could travel to Dublin to meet Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness.

Mr McGuinness, who was then the chair of the Public Account Committee, said the former commissioner made "vile" allegations against the whistleblower when they met in Bewley's Hotel car park on the Naas Road in Dublin on January 24, 2014.

The year before, Det Gda Donohoe was shot dead by criminals as he tried to stop a gang holding up a credit union in Dundalk.

Speaking in the Dail last year, Mr McGuinness said: "The garda commissioner confided in me in a car park on the Naas Road that Gda McCabe was not to be trusted and there were serious issues about him."

Disclosure

In a protected disclosure sent to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, the whistleblower claims Supt Taylor told him the commissioner got a call from the Fianna Fail TD on the anniversary of Det Gda Donohoe's anniversary.